Admittedly, here in Fort Collins, we live in place that embraces craft beer as a central tenet to our way of life. Â It weaves its way like a golden thread through our very interconnected lives. Â I personally love living in beer country and heartily support those businesses that culture this into our collective identity.
The Tap and Handle make probably one of the best places to go for beer in Fort Collins if you're not actually wanting to go to a brewery. Â While they may not have as many beers on tap as the Mayor of Old Town, the atmosphere and the rustic charm of the building draw me in and the superb beer menu makes me stay.
Drinking great beer can get expensive though.  I understand that these beers cost more than your average brew per keg, but I'm not made of money and I can't indulge  in this fine establishment that often.  When I do, it's a treat.  I always get the feeling of passion from the owner whenever he describes the beer and makes suggestions.  I feel welcome and comfortable either inside or out on their patio.
I'd highly recommend this place to anyone and I'll keep coming back! Â Cheers!
Cool beer selection and I love that they have ski ball!! They also have a juke box which is fun. I don't love their food but I think it is a great place to stop in for a beer. They have a pretty decent beer garden in the summer too, although they won't let you hang out with dogs outside :(
Review Source:I found a new love here and she goes by the name Sünner Kölsch, she's German. Tap and Handle introduced us and its just another reason to visit again, and again, and...well...you get it. It's where I plan to imbibe regularly. This Swiss Chalet looking building on College Ave. in Fort Collins, CO. has a great bar with a huge selection of fine brews and knowledgable bartenders. You have to love a place that holds pin ball competitions downstairs. They have a kitchen here with really good food too! Limited parking up in front.
Review Source:Had never been here before, but I'm glad I found my way to it. Â Lot's of beers on tap...all premium craft brews. Â I asked the bartender if they served Bud Light (not because I wanted one), and he emphatically stated "NO!". Â That itself was enough to make me a fan of the place. Â Their impressive beer selection sealed the deal for me. Â They seemed to have a lot of selections that The Mayor of Old Town does not, so between the two you have at least 150 unique brews to choose from, and they are just a block apart from one another. Â I have a feeling that my fortuitous finding of this place me be a double edged sword: Â Good for my palate and the beer geek in me, but bad for my wallet and liver. Â Oh well...c'est la vie.
I didn't have the food here so I can't comment on that.
Never been in here so decided to give it a try. Wings were good with a large variety of sauces. Had the Philly and it was bland. Breaded chicken fingers were a good size portion but were overcooked. The food took a long time to come out.
This looks like a decent place to grab a beer and socialize. I would not recommend the food. Lot's of beer on tap
I suffered a Gout attack late this summer and was crippled pretty much for about two to three weeks. It took forever for it to completely go away.
When I went to the doctor about it she said I had to watch the triggers that can start an attack. Unfortunately my beloved craft beers are a trigger. She said that I could still have beer but only about two or three glasses per week and not in one sitting. Nooooo! I certainly do not want another attack so I have become even more of a beer snob, now more than ever! When I am drinking I want my delicious staple beers or something experimental and unusual, so I make myself be very picky on what brews I drink. I would not be amused if I picked a beer that was a bust. My beer quota getting used up over crappy ales!
One of the best places to go when I am within my quota of beers and I want to drink is to go to taphouses where there is a wide variety to pick from. Fort Collins does well with having a wide range of breweries to pick from and now taphouses are stepping up to the plate as well here in town. I mean, it just makes sense!
Last night was the first time I went to Tap and Handle. They had seventy-four beers on tap that night which I was glad to hear. Since I have to be careful with how much beer I drink I can't really afford to get a beer I was only lukewarm to yet I wanted some experimental brew. Experimental brews is the whole joy of drinking for me. Alas I did not find anything too exotic but I went with the Agave Wheat beer put out by Breckenridge Brewery. I had it before several times and knew it was good.
My friends and I ordered some food as well. They are vegetarian which Tap and Handle does have vegetarian options like hummus, salads and grilled cheese sandwiches. They went with a Portabella Philly sandwich and sweet potato fries, they seemed to like it. I got the hamburger with Swiss which was great with their own mayo! I got the regular potato french fries which was more like pub fries, it was very yummy!
The atmosphere of Tap and Handle is kind of hit and miss but I can live with it. We sat at a table with a fireplace which was nice but other parts of the restaurant did not seem quite as cheerful going on the setup. Our waitress was cheerful enough though.
Tap and Handle also had an unexpected perk by the bathrooms too! I sound like my mind is in the gutter BUT that is not the case. By the restrooms which are downstairs (a bathroom upstairs for the disabled) they had a handful of pinball machines and a pool table. How can one not have fun with a pinball machine?
Overall I enjoyed my first experience here but was just a bit disappointed with the beer list. My experimental quota though was met later that night by having a Chicory Stout from Dogfishead Brewery at a different taphouse so I was a happy camper by the end of the night. Maybe it was just a less experimental night here too, taphouses have a constantly rotating roster of beers. I need to keep that in mind too.
Really enjoyed this place. Â It was my best friends bday, so we hit up this place as it is one of his favorite places to drink. Â They treated us very well and served us with a friendly smile. Â We were able to taste a few brews before we decided on what we wanted. Â Kinda a nice aspect, since they have such a variety and often when you try a new beer and get a dud you are stuck with it. Â This way I was able to try something new, verify if it was worth my while and then get a pint, knowing that I would enjoy it. Â They also serve some pub fair which is quite good. Â I had a fried pickle and a really good burger. Â I would definitely recommend this place and come back.
Review Source:I adore the Tap and Handle. Â A great bar that is surprisingly quiet-but it's great that way. Â I never have to wait for a beer or a round of darts. Â And the beer selection is fantastic. Â The bartenders aren't shy about letting you try samples either. Â The game room is like your friend's parent's basement. Â Service is great, an off duty crew member went out of his way to make sure we were taken care of and even recommended other great bars we'd like (We are new in town). Â All of this has cemented my devotion to this bar. Â My only complaints are the lack of a TV (which will keep us away during football games) and the anti-dog on the patio policy. Â We wanted to bring friends from out of town here to check out the great local beer selection but had to go someplace else do to not allowing dogs on the back patio. Â Bummer. Â Keep up the rest of the greatness though!
Review Source:My wife and I have been regulars at the Tap and Handle almost since it's opening.
The kitchen rocks. Best burger in town, no question. Fried asparagus - excellent. Innovative and good tasting food.
Chris is a great bar tender. We walk in and he has suggestions for the next beer to try. They rotate the taps regularly and with 84 selections, we have been fortunate to try a wide range of world-class beers within walking distance of our home.
We've met interesting people at the T&H as it draws a mix of people with different backgrounds. That makes it an interesting place to just drop in to and see what is happening.
We prefer the T&H to the Mayor because the Mayor is just to noisy. It's not a comfortable place to sit down with friends and just enjoy a brew and talk.
Our other favorite place for beer is the Forge - also a quiet pub, great people and interesting beers.
It had been a particularly intense day. Days like this one don't happen often (thankfully), but when they do, they certainly take their toll.
"I need a beer," I muttered.
I packed up after my meeting and made my way over to Tap and Handle. This wasn't my first visit, but my second. You'll almost never see me dining alone, and pretty much never sitting at a bar by myself, but this day called for it. I bellied up to the bar and looked over their craft beer list. With 74 different options, I knew I would narrow it down by sticking with an IPA. IPA's are my go-to standard and they are best on bad days. Hell, they're good every day. But on bad days, that killer, bitter, hoppy bite to the kisser dulls the lingering tension from an afternoon gone awry. The stronger the bite, the better.
Service was swift and friendly, offering me tasters of IPA samples. I went with the friendly suggestion of Grand Teton's Sweetgrass APA, even though it didn't carry the painful IPA punch I was looking for. It was still a good way to start a beer drinking session.
I sat there sipping on the beer while scrolling through my social media accounts on my iPhone. One of the bar patrons hit up the music selection with Dave Mathews Band. I rolled my eyes and made a Facebook status update. "Was looking for serenity and now being subjected to DMB. Not my idea of  good music." But then, very few people share the same taste in music as I do. I could never be a music critic.
I took a look at the menu while occasionally chatting up staff behind the bar, deciding that an early dinner would be a good idea rather than just going with a liquid lunch.
On my first visit with Lauren, fellow blogger and beer-lover behind Napa of Beer, we chatted about blogs over dinner. She ordered the Mac & Cheese with bacon. It was comfort food at it's finest. Creamy cheese with the meaty soul-soothing flavors of bacon. Hmmm, bacon and beer - the flavor cure for the stressed. If you ever end up coming to Tap and Handle for some beer healing, get this to go along with it.
I ordered a basic burger considering we were in a pub. It was alright - nothing spectacular, but nothing atrocious either. Just a good ole' classic burger that was a little dry. I liked the bread because it was different - a softer, buttery fluff of carbs compared to the dense chewy typical hamburger bun.
So, with these menu items already checked off the list from the first visit, this second solo serenity stop needed to be different. I chose the Flank Steak Philly loaded with red and green peppers. Then I ordered an Odell Myrcenary Imperial IPA to wash it down. Now that's a beer to smack the funk out of you.
As I ate my sandwich, thick strings of cheese pulled off of every bite. The steak was tough and a little difficult to chew, and I probably would have cared more about it on a different day, but not on this particular afternoon. The bar was awkwardly silent, so the bartender thumbed through the music selection on the wall.
"Anything but Dave Mathews," I smiled.
"Hey, I like you already!" he replied while going with some kind of old school rock. Still not my style, but it was anything but DMB.
The combination of a Philly sandwich and a super hoppy IPA calmed my nerves as I slipped into a more relaxed state. This place was growing on me. There are so many different mega-tap pubs to choose from in Fort Collins, a city that drinks beer like it's vital to our survival, but none of them seemed to be a good fit for a moment of recovery from when life's crap hits the fan. With the English-style atmosphere and the pinball machines in the basement, this beer bar fits the bill. It used to be a travel agency before owner Jeff Willis transformed it into a craft beer house in January of 2012. Now it's a neighborhood hangout for people who really don't care about anything other than good beer.
It's also one of the best places to just take a moment and chill out with a brew. It was exactly the kind of pub I was looking for.
I loved this joint. Stopped in on a Thursday evening and virtually had the place to myself. Extensive tap selection (~ 75 or so). No bottles... Yet, but my bartender (Chad) said that it was in the works. Sample pours available. I thought the food was great! Fried pickles and a brat were all that I needed. Chad was a very friendly, attentive and knowledgable bartender. Impressive selection. Shitload of locals, some limited and rare stuff and plenty of imports (Shelton Bro's were very well represented). Maybe a bit pricey, but I know what they're paying for the barrels. Long bar, plenty of tables, pinball and other games downstairs plus a decent sized outdoor patio. Work on the bottle selection and this joint will be top notch.
Review Source:Several months after reviewing the first time, I thought I'd go back. Â Really happy to see that this place is "finding its legs", and I've had a couple really great experiences here.
Largest difference (and it could just be "luck of the draw") is that the staff - both the bartender (Chris) and the server we had were knowledgable and passionate about beer. Â Clearly experts, but also know there is always much to learn. Â Also, they were very friendsly, and made recommendations based on what they thought we'd like, not just what would be most expedient for them.
The food -- some hits. Â The fried pickles are great. Â Also, the prices for food are reasonable.
Finally, love the large bench-style patio. Â A north facing patio in the summer = cooler, especially given the hellish-hot summer we've had.
The second star is for the French fries.
It has the ambiance of a college house party.
My experience started with being carded to enter on a weekday afternoon. Â It looks like an almost finished basement. Â The bar is made from some cheap wood flooring tiles and a bunch of varnish. Â The restroom is in the "game room."
The place was almost empty, so it was easy to get a space in the middle of the bar. Â I asked the moderately knowledgable bar tender for a suggestion and received an above average beer. Â Before I could enjoy this one beer, at the empty bar with the guarded door, I had to pay or give them a credit card to open a tab. Â I can't think of another place In town that treats you like this when they are empty.
The other beers were decent and my gf found a new favorite. Â The high point was the French fries. Â For a reasonable price, the let us order half sweat potato and half regular fries. Â This was great, because I was going to just order the sweat potato fires and they were fairly bland.
I think that I am just not their target demographic. Â While we were there a large group came in asking for yuengling. Â The bar tenders have never heard of this. Not a great beer, but most experienced beer drinkers should have heard of it.
The Tap and Handle is a former travel agency converted to a bar. The conversion was clearly done on the cheap. The atmosphere is dark and a little musty. There is an outdoor seating area with wooden picnic tables. The beer selection is pretty good with around 75 beers on tap. A friendly server informed us that a taste of any beer is $1. For $1 you get a half shot glass taste of their beers. We ordered a Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA and an Odell IPA. Both were poured short with a BIG head. Neither tasted remotely like the beers that we ordered. Both were essentially devoid of any hop aroma and both had a similarly unpleasant aftertaste. It tasted like VERY old beer. We politely advised the server that something was amiss and were referred to the manager who informed us that we were just unfamiliar with the way our beers should taste and she assured us that nothing was wrong with our beers. She made no offer to refund our money or to replace our beers with another selection. Needless to say, we will never return to the Tap and Handle.
Review Source:If we weren't already blessed with great beer joints like The Mayor, The Forge, Choice City & Cafe Vino, perhaps I could get more excited about T&H. Â But, in this environment, you've got to be pretty special to get a piece of my "expensive beer" budget. Â And there's really not enough to recommend here to place it in the above company.
The beer is consistently overpriced (Two examples: #1- after visiting, my group then went to Ace Gillets, where we had live music, fantastic ambiance AND the beers were across the board cheaper by $1-2 a glass  and #2 - They charge $7 for Breck Vanilla Porter.  Over at the Astoria?  $4.50)  ) and the decor is bland and not particularly welcoming.
The beer garden looks like it might have possibilities, so we'll revisit when the weather warms up a  bit.
Meantime, drop prices across the board, work on the ambiance and the T&H might be able to compete. Â Otherwise.....
We're are the negative stars? Â
Waited over 10 minutes to be served at a table. Then was asked for a credit card to cover my tab. No problems..... Here is my card! Â But then when the night is over, tab paid with cash.... Where is my card? Â It's in a box at the bar?? Â No wait the waitress has my card in her box... No wait its in this box? Where is my card? Â They can't find it!!!!!!!!! Â Ten minutes later they find it. Â Restaurants rank as highest % in credit card theft issues. Why? Â Because of the time that the physical card is out of your view. What are they doing with my card? Â Who knows??? Â Then to misplace my card between the bar box and the waitress box, Â where did it go? Â
This is a horrible experience!!!
Talked with the " owner" and he was of little help. Lots of bs excuses why they do it the way they do. My question still remains unanswered... Where was my credit card?
I will never return!
Go to the Mayor of Old Town or one of the many local breweries!! Â Better service, better prices, and better business practices!!!!
A great selection of beer that should satisfy most people. Â Food was great - we had 6 dishes to share and everything was tasty. Â The server was very knowledgeable on the beer selection. Â We sat in the back lounge area and the space was perfectly casual and uncrowded. Our bill was pretty expensive but you definitely get what you are paying for.
Review Source:Outstanding addition to Old Town Fort Fun!!! Â 75 local brews on tap. Nice local beer drenched food on the menu too. We can't wait for the beer garden to open this Spring. In the meantime, enjoy the wood burning fireplace this Winter. In the old Aggie Travel tudor on College. Â A gem!! Â And very local so makes it even better.
Review Source:
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